Annual Report 2014-15 The Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research Since its launch in November 2012, the Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research has been dedicated to enhancing opportunities for students to develop their employability; fostering world class research on legal practice and education; and developing innovative approaches to the curriculum. We are grateful to all of our partners within the legal community who provide generous support and collaboration for our extra-curricular activities; to those practitioners who have committed their time to participating in our research projects; and to the members of the CEPLER Steering Group who have helped us to shape the growth and development of the Centre. In particular, we would like to extend our thanks to our key partners No5 Chambers for their conceptualisation, investment and continued support. July 2015 Contents Introduction from Professor Robert Lee, Director of CEPLER Page 2 Professor Robert Lee’s I am very pleased to present CEPLER’s annual report Introduction and the for 2014-15, in which we highlight the growth and CEPLER Framework. achievements of the Centre over a busy twelve Page 3 months. Meet the CEPLER Team. This year we have been proud to offer our students Page 4 an even broader range of opportunities to develop The CEPLER Awards 2015 their skills and experience and shape their future A celebration of careers, with the introduction of new pro bono outstanding achievement projects and enhanced careers initiatives. Also we and commitment. have been privileged to welcome a host of distinguished speakers to share their Page 5-6 wisdom and expertise. In March we were delighted to host our inaugural CEPLER Pro Bono Group Awards in celebration of a successful year of study and to reward the Highlighting this year’s outstanding achievement of individual students across the range of extra- existing and new projects curricular endeavour. and activities. CEPLER has pursued new research paths this year with independent and Pages 7-8 collaborative projects reflecting areas of key concern to the profession, and we CEPLER Events have continued to develop a strong foundation of practice-led legal education. The diverse range of We are grateful, as ever, for the valued support of our academic colleagues and careers events and the professional partners, and for the kindness of the many Law School Alumni who wealth of high-profile guest speakers. give their time so generously. CEPLER has ambitious plans for the coming year and we are grateful for your continued engagement. Page 9 Careers News and key initiatives The CEPLER Framework in careers this year. CEPLER is part of the Law School at the University of Birmingham. It Page 10 encompasses those Law School activities which are linked to law in practice and Advocacy to the legal profession. Student accomplishments in CEPLER’s objectives are to: mooting and debating. create opportunities for and facilitate world class research on the legal Pages 11-12 profession, law in practice and legal education; Research support and facilitate the impact of the Law School’s research across all CEPLER’s research fields of law, and encourage public engagement; strategy, current activity and highlights of the enhance the legal practice skills, commercial awareness and employability of year. Law School students; have instilled in Birmingham Law School Graduates a sense of civic duty and Page 14 Education citizenship; and The development of the increase awareness of legal rights and responsibilities amongst the wider existing programme and community, the introduction of new initiatives. each in collaboration with the legal profession, our students, the wider university, other academics, policy makers, regulators and others. 2 Meet the CEPLER Team Professor Robert Lee Professor Hilary Sommerlad Director of CEPLER Director of Research A specialist in regulation, Internationally recognised for her work on particularly health and legal aid and access to justice, diversity and environmental law, Robert has professional identity, Hilary has held chairs worked in two of the UK’s largest at Leicester and Leeds Metropolitan, law firms and has held positions on where she established a Centre for numerous committees and panels. Diversity of the Professions. Linden Thomas Dr Steven Vaughan In-House Solicitor and CEPLER Director of Education Manager Steven has been a practising solicitor and Linden qualified as a solicitor with held lectureships at Cardiff and Bristol. He SGH Martineau, specialising in is a Future Research Leader for the ESRC Employment Law. She oversees and is currently working on a 3-year many of our pro bono projects and project on Corporate Lawyer-Client links with the profession. relationships. Dr Bharat Malkani Theresa Lynch Director of Pro Bono Director of Advocacy Bharat specialises in the field of Theresa was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn human rights and criminal justice. before joining the Law School from her role He joined the Law School from with the CPS. She also teaches the CEPLER Bristol University in 2008 and Advocacy Module and is researching BME established the BLS Pro Bono Group Students and Mooting. in 2009. Emily Carroll Dr Emma Oakley Director of Careers Research Fellow Having qualified as a solicitor in Emma works with Steven Vaughan on his 2005, Emily brings a decade of ESRC ‘Future Leaders’ project, exploring experience and understanding of the nature of corporate law firms and their the legal marketplace from roles clients. She achieved her PhD at Bristol with Irwin Mitchell, Walker Morris University where she also taught. and Shoosmiths. Professor Erika Rackley Lesley Griffiths Senior Administrator CEPLER Professor Lesley supports the extra-curricular Erika has an international reputation for her research in judicial diversity, the nature and careers-related activities in the Law School, including devising and of judging, and gender equality in the legal coordinating the CEPLER profession. Her influence has earned her a Professional Development (CPD) coveted Leverhulme Prize Scheme. Emma Flint Birmingham Fellow (Teaching) Emma joined the Law School in December 2014. A corporate lawyer for nearly ten years, Emma left private practice in 2008 and was made a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority in 2014. 3 CEPLER Annual Awards In March, CEPLER was delighted to host its inaugural Annual Awards Reception, an opportunity to celebrate a successful year of study for our final year students and to recognise outstanding individual achievement in the field of extra-curricular activity. With the generous sponsorship of University of Law and Birmingham Law School, the evening was a mix of networking and presentations, with speeches from two of our esteemed alumni: Kolarele Sonaike, Annabell Lamba, PG Marketing Manager, UoB barrister, mediator and President of the community-based charity 100 Black Men of London; and Annabell Lamba, who graduated in law and moved to a career in Higher Education marketing, returning to UoB for a role in Postgraduate Marketing. Congratulations to all of our winners: CEPLER’s Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by Shakespeares Solicitors (now Shakespeare Martineau), was given to Kolarele Sonaike, Barrister Charlotte Elves, an exceptional student who, through her involvement with both the Mooting and Pro Bono Committees, has demonstrated initiative and commitment beyond expectation. Charlotte Elves The award for Outstanding Contribution to Pro Bono, sponsored by Mills & Reeve LLP, was awarded jointly to Farah Hakim and Sonny Dudani for their enthusiasm and commitment to reinvigorating the Street Law project. Street Law involves student teams presenting to community groups, schools, and public and third sector organisations on a Sonny Dudani and Farah Hakim wide variety of legal education topics. The winner of the award for Outstanding Contribution to Mooting, sponsored by No5 Chambers, was final year student Pawel Michael Young, Shakespeare Martineau and Dr Steven Vaughan, CEPLER Pokorski. As Master of the Moots, an honour bestowed on him in recognition of his success in last year’s mooting finals, Pawel was actively involved in liaising with professional judges and organising the post- Pawel Pokorski moot receptions. The Awards presentation also included the winners of our three mooting competitions and the CEPLER debating team. Paul McConnell University of Law, CEPLER would like to extend grateful thanks to all of our sponsors and and Professor Robert Lee, Director of CEPLER contributors who made the evening possible. 4 Pro Bono Group It has been an exciting and busy year for our Pro Bono Group. During the academic year 2014-15 we ran a total of nine projects involving 180 students. Helping those who need it most The Pro Bono Group continues to offer legal advice and support to some of the most vulnerable people in our community. This year’s excellent FLAG Coordinator team Birmingham Free Legal Advice Group (FLAG), our largest project, continued to advise members of our local community I enjoyed meeting the client, and the who cannot afford to pay for legal advice. Under the supervision of solicitors from Mills & Reeve and barristers from No5 ‘ professional volunteer and being chambers, over 60 Birmingham Law School students advised placed in a situation I had never clients on a diverse range of issues, including employment law, experienced before. It gave me intellectual property law, family law, property law and probate hands on experience, and knowing law, to name just a few. you have helped somebody in a PSU: Pro Bono Group members volunteer with the Personal tough, personal situation was Support Unit (PSU), a charity based in the Birmingham Civil extremely rewarding! Justice Centre, which offers assistance to litigants in person - Birmingham Law student on her experience people who are representing themselves in Court cases. of volunteering with FLAG Following recent cuts to legal aid, an increasing number of Everything about you and your people have no choice but to navigate their way through the Court process without legal representation, making the support service was most efficient, clear, offered by PSU volunteers invaluable.